KABUL, Afghanistan — A member of the Taliban’s border forces was killed in a clash with Pakistani security forces near the Torkham border crossing, a key trade route between the two countries, Taliban confirmed on Monday.
Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesman for the Taliban-led Ministry of Interior, said that two other Taliban personnel were wounded in the exchange of fire, which began late Sunday night. Pakistani officials also reported injuries among their security forces, though they did not specify the number.
The cause of the clash remains disputed. Taliban claim that Pakistani border guards initiated the gunfire around 11 p.m., and that the fighting continued for 12 hours. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet commented on the incident.
The border skirmish comes amid ongoing tensions over the closure of the Torkham crossing, which has been shut for 10 days due to a dispute over the construction of a border post. The shutdown has left more than 5,000 trucks carrying essential goods stranded, worsening economic strains in both countries.
Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, president of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, described the situation as “very serious,” emphasizing the toll on trade between the two nations. Yousaf Afridi, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Pakistan’s Khyber region, estimated that the closure has already resulted in economic losses of at least $15 million.
Afghanistan, which has faced a deepening economic crisis since the Taliban took power in 2021, is particularly vulnerable to disruptions in trade. The blockade of the Torkham crossing has further strained the country’s fragile economy, which is already struggling under the weight of reduced international aid and sanctions.
While Qani, the Taliban spokesman, said the latest clashes had ended, he did not indicate when the crossing might reopen.
